From 389597e5b3e5272645cfc8496e16b7c63f42d268 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: John Bowdre Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2023 14:50:34 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] draft: how to ask technical questions --- .../how-to-ask-technical-questions/index.md | 32 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/posts/how-to-ask-technical-questions/index.md diff --git a/content/posts/how-to-ask-technical-questions/index.md b/content/posts/how-to-ask-technical-questions/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1e1a380 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/how-to-ask-technical-questions/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: How to Ask Technical Questions +date: 2023-08-26 +timeless: true +draft: true +description: There are no dumb questions - but there are smarter (and dumber) ways to ask them. +--- +I spend a lot of my time and energy answering technical questions[^1]. How a question is asked plays a big factor in how effectively I'll be able to answer it. Years ago I came across Eric Steven Raymond's [How To Ask Questions The Smart Way](http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html) and it really resonated with me. I wish everyone would read it before asking for technical help but I recognize it's a pretty large doc at this point. So I thought I'd summarize some of the main points that I would like to emphasize. + +## Research Before You Ask + +## Clear and Specific Subject Line + +## Correct Spelling and Grammar + +## Be Precise + +## ...But Not Unnecessarily Verbose + +## Describe the Symptoms, Not Your Guesses + +## Describe the Goal, Not the Step + +## Be Explicit About Your Question + +## Be Courteous + +## Follow Up with Solution + + + +[^1]: Both professionally as well as "for fun" because I love scratching that troubleshooting itch.